Ghanaian recording artiste Moliy has responded to a statement made by Shaggy regarding what he said was her unwillingness to clear songs on the Shake It To The Max rhythm following the global success of her hit single of the same name.

In an interview with the UK’s Capital Xtra on Tuesday, Moliy shared that her decision stemmed from the urge to head in a different creative direction, rather than her misunderstanding of the Jamaican juggling culture, as suggested by Shaggy.

“I understand the culture; I just had a different intention. It’s like you can see it from where we are standing today and be like, ‘No, this went totally wrong, this is not how it’s supposed to be.’ Maybe we will look at it 10 years from now and be like, ‘This was actually a great choice,” Moliy said.

She went on to suggest that she has no problem working with Shaggy or any other entertainer as long as they’re interested in her as an artiste and not just a rhythm.

“If you really mess with me, then hit me up and let’s work on something else. Is it just Shake It To The Max that you’re interested in, or do you like me as an artiste?” she questioned.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer in late February, Shaggy reflected on the success of the Shake It To The Max beat. Highlighting the resurgence of the juggling culture now happening on the local circuit through the widely popular WYFL rhythm by DJ Mac, he expressed that had it not been for gatekeeping, Shake It To The Max could have broken international barriers.

“I thought that could have happened (the reemergence of the juggling culture) with Silent Addy and the Shake It To The Max rhythm. We tried, and a couple people jumped on it, but I think the problem was Moliy. She didn’t want anybody else to jump on it…” he said. “I know Silent Addy himself was really pushing to do it, but I think she was the one blocking it, and that really hurt the culture because that was a gateway. Not allowing anybody else to jump on it — that’s gatekeeping in my opinion.”

Moliy, on the other hand, said she was just eager to do the “next thing”.

“I loved it. I loved every part of it (Shake It To The Max), but at some point, I was just thinking, when do I get to do the next thing?” she expressed.

– Shereita Grizzle